Before we look forward to 2023, let’s take a look back at 2022 — actually, let's take it a step further than just 2022. We're rounding up several history pieces we wrote this year and sharing tales from Columbia’s past.

The history of COLAtoday | Why not start with our own history? COLAtoday was born on April 3, 2017 — well, the newsletter anyways. For those of you who’ve been following along since 2017, thank you. For all others, allow us to (re)introduce ourselves with this story.

History of Columbia’s oldest restaurant, Villa Tronco | Villa Tronco is arguably the oldest restaurant in Columbia and this is the story of how “Mama Tronco'' introduced pizza to Columbia when she helped feed Northern soldiers in WWII who were stationed at Fort Jackson.

The Great Banana Explosion from 1946 | Stretching about 10 blocks, Assembly Street’s curb market was Columbia’s agriculture hub for produce for over 80 years. On Thursday, Nov. 14, 1946, The State Newspaper reported there was a 100-ft wide explosion that had a lot to do with a banana-ripening chamber + a cigarette.

Brutalism - Cola's most popular architectural style | Between the early 1950s and 1970s, Columbia went through a rebirth of construction and modern architecture that defines the landscape of our city today.

A quick history of Columbia’s Arcade Mall | Originally built-in 1912, the Arcade Mall has changed several times over the last century. After undergoing a renovation in 2016, it began welcoming several new businesses.Take a closer look at the history of the Arcade Mall and the businesses that make it a modern-day bustling lunchtime spot.

Celebrating 42 years of Cocky | Can you believe there was a time in history when Soda Citizens didn't like Cocky? Read through the full history of our hero — I mean USC's mascot — via a timeline that begins in 1971.

Want more? Scroll through the entire "History" section on our website.